Grackle

[Charlie Spencer]

Lockwood Folly, SE coastal NC, September 2017.  Freshwater outlet strongly influenced by salt water tides.

I listed it as one Grackle species two and a half years ago.  Someone saw it recently and suggested another species.  I'm posting this without any other details to avoid influencing y'all one way or the other.  These are my only two photos of the same bird.

If you reply, please tell me why you chose one species over the other.  I'd like to know what I may have missed.  Regardless, there's no lifer on the line here.  Thanks.

Edited April 4, 2020 by Charlie Spencer

[Nivalis]

Pass

[The Bird Nuts]

Common Grackle for me based on the big head and shorter neck.

[Jefferson Shank]

Common Grackle - for same reasons that @The Bird Nuts stated.

[Charlie Spencer]

Anybody else?

[Birding Boy]

Agreed, for the reasons @The Bird Nuts mentioned.

[Charlie Spencer]

I listed it as Common back in '17.  Last week I received an e-mail from a reviewer that someone had flagged it as a Boat-Tailed.  The reviewer agreed, although acknowledging the tail was short.

I agree the tail is short for any Grackle (with some possible damage?) and isn't much help.  But my bird is perched on a 2" x 4" rail.  Here's a BTGR from AAB in a similar perch.  Does anyone else think there's a noticeable difference in the sizes?

My bird again:

Boat-tailed from AAB:

[Tony Leukering]

I go with Common, too, mainly on the strength of the relatively short legs. Both BTGR and GTGR are leggy beasts.

[Charlie Spencer]

I've e-mailed the reviewer twice, asking why he and the other eBirder think BTGR but I haven't had a response.  I have the addresses for two other reviewers.  If I don't hear back from the original reviewer this week, I'll drag the other two into this.

Thanks, everybody.